We deliver conservation solutions so agricultural producers can protect natural resources and feed a growing world.
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a cornerstone conservation initiative by NRCS aimed at integrating sustainable practices within the realms of farming, ranching, and forestry. EQIP offers both technical and financial support to agricultural producers and forest landowners to effectively tackle natural resource concerns, emphasizing improved water and air quality, conservation of ground and surface water, enhanced soil health, reduced soil erosion, the creation or improvement of wildlife habitats, and strategies to combat drought and weather volatility. This program operates on a year-round application basis, ensuring assistance for implementing conservation plans that result in tangible benefits like reduced agricultural contamination, efficient nutrient use, improved soil health, and the adoption of climate-smart practices that bolster carbon sequestration and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. EQIP prioritizes addressing soil and water quality, plant and energy conservation, wildlife habitat protection, air quality improvement, and reducing the impacts of increased weather variability. State-specific priorities, such as the ones identified by Massachusetts, are also considered, ranging from water quality and conservation to combating invasive plant species and enhancing at-risk species' habitats.